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The Medium Mark A Whippet Tank was an allied tank of World Struggle One. Its design and function was to take advantage of the armour of the heavier allied tanks and use its velocity and mobility to achieve a tactical benefit on the battlefield.
The Whippet Tank is taken into account to be probably the most profitable British tank, and a few would say most profitable allied tank of the First World Struggle. Particularly, the Whippet was that profitable, the tank was utilized in post-war conflicts in Russia and Eire.
Following intensive trials of the tank, the Whippet was accredited in 1917, and the primary tanks left the manufacturing line in October 1917 and delivered to F Battalion of the Tank Corps
The Whippet, as a consequence of its velocity and measurement was supposed for quick exhausting hitting assaults.
The Whippets baptism of fireplace got here in March 1918 because the Germans launched Kaiserschlacht, a final ditch offensive designed to lastly break by allied strains. The Whippets’ most notable motion was in the course of the Amiens offensive in August 1918.
Though the Whippet’s had proved themselves, the cooperation of tanks and cavalry on the battlefield broke down. Whereas advancing the Whippets couldn’t hold tempo with the cavalry and when the Whippets have been attacked, the cavalry couldn’t help them. Tanks of the sixth battalion gathered at Marcelcave within the night of the primary day of battle. From the unique praise of 48 tanks, 40 have been nonetheless in operating order. While accounting for the losses, Whippet quantity 344 named ‘Musical Field’ was lacking. The story of this tank and its crew is the best single tank motion of your entire warfare.
The crew of Whippet quantity 344 beneath the command of Lt. C. B. Arnold carried out the best mechanical cavalry cost of the warfare. Transferring off at zero hour on the eighth August with the remainder of the troops throughout that sector, they handed the railway at Villiers-Bretonneux and by some means turned indifferent from the principle drive. Arnold turned conscious of a drive of Mark V tanks and Australian Infantry beneath hearth from German artillery. Arnold attacked with out hesitation, first passing in entrance of the German weapons after which to the rear peppering the gun positions with machine gun hearth. The well timed assault by Arnold allowed the Australian infantry to maneuver ahead. For the subsequent 9 hours Arnold and his crew attacked German rear positions, infantry, and wagons. They dispersed a complete battalion of infantry in a camp between Bayonvillers and Harbonnieres, destroyed an statement balloon and a transport column of the German 225.Division.
Following unremitting assault upon the Germans, the circumstances inside Arnold’s Whippet turned so troublesome that the crew used the mouthpieces of their gasmasks for respiratory. The destruction of ‘Musical Field’ got here when the Germans cornered Arnold’s tank and set it ablaze with artillery hearth. Baling out of the burning wreck, the motive force was shot and Arnold and the remaining crewman have been taken prisoner.
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Source by Simon McShannon